Skogsslingan

On the southern part of Gränsö there is a 2.7 kilometer long nature trail with the forest as a theme. The start and finish are at the parking lot at Sandvik.

There are a number of stations along the trail, and the aim is to show how forestry, nature conservation and outdoor life can be integrated.

The forest trail starts in a mixed forest with both coniferous and deciduous trees. Where the path turns north from the gravel road, we have thinned forest on the left and an unthinned area on the right. The purpose of this is to show how the thinned and unthinned forest develops. Then you come to a swamp forest with free development.

After a few hundred meters, you pass an old cultural landscape that has been replanted with spruce in a typical way. There is an old house foundation here and to the left of the path runs an old stone wall with the remains of a fence. These cultural remains must be kept free of vegetation so that they stand out in the landscape.

Hillside pine forest is one of the archipelago's most common habitat types. Timber production is very low and the lichens on the ground are sensitive to wear. Hilly areas are therefore left untouched. There are fine views of the sea between the trees. The tree curtain along the shoreline is an important transition zone between woodland and water.

At Skanviksvägen you turn left and pass an area of pine forest that was planted in 1975. Here, clearing and thinning must take place at the required intervals. You will also pass some 125-year-old pine trees. These will be allowed to age naturally instead of being felled, so-called perpetual trees. In the long term, there will be a much-needed addition of old dead wood in the forest. In order for self-regeneration to take place, the land must be sparsely covered with trees. If necessary, the spruce will therefore be removed and the pines thinned out.

After the crossroads there is an old field. 'Bearing' trees and shrubs are those that bear berries or fruit, providing valuable winter food for the forest's many animals and birds. There is a wild apple here together with a willow, which also occupies a special position among the forest's trees because of its early flowering and thus importance for bees and other pollinators in the spring.

Along the path there are some old hollow oaks. Many rare insects thrive in the brown moss, and it is important that the tree is sunlit.

On the mountain above the summer cottages there is a Bronze Age grave and on the slope down to the bathing area there are 200-year-old pines with rare lichens. The area is a key biotope and may be developed freely.